Duluth City Council presses staff for SRO training and discipline data ahead of Monday vote

Duluth City Council members asked city and public-safety staff for more detail about the school resource officer (SRO) contract, training and discipline statistics ahead of a scheduled council vote Monday night. Councilors raised questions about culturally responsive training, the number of punitive actions taken by SROs under the previous three-year contract, and whether those discipline incidents can be broken down by race.

Councilor Auwel said she remembered community “tabletop” sessions held during the prior contract and asked how advice from those meetings had been incorporated into the current agreement. She said, “there were some youth of color and some black youth who were specifically talking about how uncomfortable they felt that there's a presence of police with guns in their schools,” and asked how the city balances those concerns with families who support SROs.

A city public-safety staff member told the council, “we do have various SRO trainings throughout the year,” and said newly selected SROs receive training on the topic and that schools or districts work with staff to meet local needs. The staff member also said the administration would seek feedback from families and community members to gauge the SRO program’s effectiveness: “Any type any type of feedback that we can get to gauge how effective our SRO program is or the individual officers in those schools, we would love to receive that.”

When asked whether disciplinary actions by SROs are recorded and whether the city could supply a racial breakdown for the prior three-year contract period, the staff member said they did not have the figures immediately available but would coordinate with Lieutenant Ken Zwock, who oversees the SRO program, and with Sergeant Jambor to obtain the data. The staff member added they would also consult Budget Manager Carrie Cronin about whether those topics were addressed during contract negotiations with Independent School District 709.

Councilor Dirk Wachter asked whether the requested data could be provided by Monday because the council will vote that night; a staff member responded they would make an effort to deliver it “even tomorrow or first thing Monday morning.” Councilors and staff also confirmed the program’s current reimbursement arrangement covers the portion of an officer’s salary for time spent in a school building; councilors said the program’s cost—described in the meeting as roughly $1 million—had risen primarily because wages increased.

No formal vote or contract adoption occurred during the meeting. Councilors pressed for the requested statistics and for clarity on training and community feedback before Monday’s vote. The council’s public record indicates the matter remains scheduled for Monday night consideration.

The council heard these remarks and requests during discussion of items 23–25 on the agenda, which concern the SRO agreement and related matters. Staff committed to returning discipline and training information to the council prior to the scheduled vote.